Sportsmanship 2000 Rededicated

You have passed us on Harry Truman Drive the past 20 years. We are Sportsmanship 2000, the bigger-than-life girl and boy soccer players in front of the Anne Arundel County Parks and Recreation building.

In spring of 2000 then-Director Dennis Callahan wanted a landmark to identify the building, similar to the cows in front of the Agriculture Department. He consulted with DH Banker, a sculpture instructor at Anne Arundel Community College. Students at AACC submitted ideas and Mr. Callahan and others chose this design. Various sports leagues offered to match the county’s funding.

Banker and students had worked with small designs in concrete but nothing this large. There was no room at the college so all work on the project was in Mrs. Banker’s Cape St Claire garage. Seven students, mostly women, were the key builders along with 11 regular volunteers. It took 1300 hours and 18 months for completion. New techniques were studied to lower the weight of the 8-foot statue, which would weigh 2 to 3 tons when finished. Professionals were consulted and the statues grew to a point where it was iffy on how to get it out of the garage. A local towing company solved the problem. It was driven to the site and placed on the base the County had built. Only one ear was chipped and easily repaired. If you notice, the cleats the girl dangles could not be possibly fit her feet because a large base was needed to support the statue.

Much thanks was given at the 2001 dedication to the county, sports leagues and countless local business for supplies and help.

Over the years the Sportsmanship 2000 had been maintained and decorated like when the Ravens were in the Super Bowl. We are the only permanent sculpture in the county designed and created by students.

–Barbara Cantor, one of the seven

Editor’s Note: Gail Howerton wrote about the statue in 2001 for Bay Weekly. The statue will be rededicated Nov. 16 at 11:30am.